Parkinson's Disease - Ways To Deal With It!

The four motor symptoms that are considered cardinal in Parkinson's disease are the tremor, slowness of movement (bradykinesia), rigidity and postural instability. Initially, tremor appears in only one hand and eventually affects both the hands with the progress of the disease. Bradykinesia is a very common consequence of disturbances in motor planning. It is a hindrance to planning, initiation, and execution of a movement. Postural instability leads to impaired balance, deterioration of confidence, reduced mobility and frequent falls. Physical exercise can be helpful for the patient. Exercising regularly may improve mobility, flexibility, strength, gait speed and quality of life.

Levodopa or L-DOPA is the precursor to the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline), which are collectively known as catecholamines. It is readily converted to dopamine in the brain and provides temporary relief to the patient from the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Levodopa usage must be monitored, because long-term use may lead to certain complications.

The patient suffers from postural instability in the later stages of Parkinson's disease. Before the development of bilateral symptoms, especially in the case of young people, instability is usually absent in the initial stages. The number of falls experienced by the patient is directly proportional to the severity of the disease. In 40% of the cases, patients experience falls, and in 10% of the cases, people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease may have falls weekly. Physical therapy might be beneficial to patients.